


Twelve Dancers

by AmberlyNightengale



Category: 12 Dancing Princesses (Fairy Tale), Frozen (Disney Movies)
Genre: Hans Redemption (Disney)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-12
Updated: 2020-10-15
Packaged: 2021-01-29 12:02:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 13,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21409870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmberlyNightengale/pseuds/AmberlyNightengale
Summary: Prince Hans of the Southern Isles was the villain from the start, of course. He tried to kill the royal family to take the throne of Arendelle for himself!But what if he wasn't just trying to get a throne? What if there's a reason he has exactly twelve older brothers? What if Hans had good intentions with a bad plan? What if Hans is really the good guy-- and the key to saving the world from an evil as ancient as the kingdom of Arendelle itself?
Comments: 25
Kudos: 30





	1. Punished

**Author's Note:**

> Quickie about the origin of this story-- I was talking to my friends about how it's weirdly specific that Hans has exactly twelve older brothers. Then it hit me: Hans's older brothers are the nighttime suitors in "The Twelve Dancing Princesses"! Then my friends all started joking "They're being held hostage in Arendelle! Hans is really the good guy!" So, of course, I had to write a fanfiction about that. Hope you enjoy!

Hans didn’t blame his father for punishing him for his excursions in Arendelle. He  _ had _ tried to kill the royal family while he was there.

He did, however, blame him for keeping him from his quest.

He wrinkled his nose as he shoveled yet another disgusting pile of horse manure. The smell was awful, and besides that,  _ really _ wasn’t helping with his dreams.

His dreams. He’d been having nightmares almost every evening, nightmares about his brothers. He had to find them.

Their lives depended on it.

* * *

_ Their faces were pale, their complexions waxy. Their eyes were sunken and he could see their skin hanging off their bones like too-large clothing. _

_ “Hans!” said Lars, the third-eldest. The light in his green eyes had long since gone out. “You must find us, little brother!” _

_ “You were so close!” Frederick, the fourth, scolded. “The signs were so clear! How could you have missed us?” _

_ “Hush, Frederick,” said Lars. “We must trust in our brother.” _

_ An unearthly squeal filled his ears. They looked up in fear. _

_ “Hurry,” whispered Lars. _

* * *

Hans shook his head, clearing his mind. It would do him no good to dwell on the memories of his latest night terrors, of his brothers in their imprisonment.

Especially Lars. Though none of his brothers were especially fond of Hans, Lars had always been kind to him. Hans had always looked up to his older brother, the future king of the Southern Isles, since Caleb and Heinrich had chosen to become soldiers. If Lars was king now, Hans was sure he would have gotten some leniency.

Of course, if Lars was king now, Hans never would have had reason to be punished in the first place.

The sound of hooves on cobblestone drew Hans’s attention. His father was here.

King William approached Hans, his regal strut and royal crown seeming out of place among the large pile of horse dung. Of course, Hans, in his princely attire that his father refused to allow him to get rid of, seemed out of place, too.

“Hello, Father,” Hans said cautiously, setting down his spade.

“Hans,” the king said formally, as though greeting the ruler of a foreign kingdom rather than his own disgraced son. “How is it here?”

“All fine, Father,” said Hans. “The same as always.”

“Splendid, splendid,” said the king distractedly.

Hans frowned. What was going on? His father  _ never _ came to see him. “Why are you here, Father?” he asked, trying hard not to sound too suspicious.

The king smiled, though it looked more like a painful grimace. “Is it a crime for the king to visit his last remaining son?”

Hans’s blood boiled, but he kept his head. “Not a crime,” he said smoothly. “Merely unusual. You never took much of an interest in me before my trip to Arendelle, anyway.”

The king sighed. “I don’t understand why you’re so bitter, Hans,” he said. “Ever since your brothers died--”

“They’re  _ not _ dead,” Hans argued. “They’re out there somewhere.”

“Why do you care so much?” the king asked. “You should be glad! Don’t you  _ want _ to be heir to the throne of the Southern Isles?”

Hans turned away, disgusted by his father’s careless dismissal of his brothers. “Not like this.”

He stalked off to the barn, leaving his father with the dung.


	2. Going Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hans returns to Arendelle-- but will the royal sisters agree to help him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm excited to share this next installment of Twelve Dancers with you guys! Enjoy!

Hans woke with a start, his blood icy, sweat beaded on his forehead. He’d had another nightmare. But it had been different.

He had to hurry.

* * *

If Hans ever returned to the Southern Isles now, he’d surely be a real felon. Not only had he previously attempted to assassinate a foreign royal family, but now he had abandoned his punishment and stolen a ship on top of that.

_ What _ he was thinking going back to Arendelle barely a year and a half after his disastrous journey that had ended in his punishment, he wasn’t sure. All he knew was that it held a clue to where his brothers were.

Oh, he could not _ wait _ to see Anna and Elsa again.

* * *

“You’ve got some nerve coming back here.”

For someone with powers over ice, Elsa’s glare was extremely heated. Hans was sure she could burn right through him if she wanted to.

“I know,” Hans said, a feeling of shame threatening to show itself in the form of a blush on his neck. “But I had no choice. I _ had _ to come back.”

“Don’t think I’m fooled for a minute,” Elsa snarled. “I don’t know why you think we’d fall for another one of your tricks so soon after the first, but _ I _ am queen, and I will _ not _ allow you to take my throne from me!”

“I don’t want your throne!” Hans said impatiently. “I already _ have _ one, thank you very much, and I don’t want anything to do with it! I came here to tell you the truth, and… and to ask for your help.” He winced as Elsa glared at him even harder.

“Help?” echoed Anna, narrowing her eyes at him. “Why would _ you _ want _ our _ help?” As she, too, fixed her eyes on him, Hans could have sworn he could feel the sting of her fist hitting his nose.

“It’s the real reason I wanted to take over Arendelle,” he said, choosing to stare at a spot above the sisters’ heads. “My brothers are missing.”

Anna looked startled. “Missing?” she repeated. “But you told me--”

“How can you still believe _ anything _ he ever said?” Elsa demanded. “He’s a liar!”

“Not about this,” Hans said. “I know a _ few _ things about where they are, but I didn’t want anyone to know that the secret was here, in Arendelle.”

“You realize we would have helped you if you’d told us,” Anna said in a low voice.

Hans shook his head. “You couldn’t have. Their capture has magic written all over it.”

Elsa summoned a ball of snowy magic and threw it. Hans ducked, but she wasn’t aiming for him. The orb hit a golden candlestick on the other side of the throne room and encased it in ice. Elsa raised her eyebrows at Hans doubtfully.

Hans rolled his eyes. “Well, I obviously didn’t know you could do _ that_,” he said. “But it wouldn’t have mattered anyway. Only I can find my brothers.”

“Then why ask for help now?” Elsa said, melting the ice with a wave of her hand.

“If I could just have your permission to search Arendelle,” Hans said. “I could look through the kingdom, try to find _ something_\--”

“Absolutely not,” Elsa said at once. “I won’t have you endangering my people.”

“Elsa!” Anna said scoldingly, turning her eyes on her sister.

“This has something to do with dark magic,” said Elsa. “_If _ he’s not trying to trick us, which I highly doubt. I won’t put my people in danger. Not again.” There was intense pain in her voice as she remembered the last danger her kingdom had been forced to face.

She stared coldly at Hans. “I’m sorry. I can’t help you.”

But Hans noticed the look in Anna’s eyes that clearly said, _ But I can. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's a little weird that Elsa hates Hans more than Anna, but remember, Anna is more the forgiving, benefit-of-the-doubt type. Also, Elsa is the big sister, and the queen besides that, so she's very protective of both her sister and her kingdom.  
Next chapter you get to meet Hans's brothers! What secret is keeping them from returning home?


	3. Tiring

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meanwhile, in the place of the princes' imprisonment, Lars worries what will become of his brothers, as they tire under the weight of their curse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoo! Sorry it's been so long since I updated this. I got so focused on my other works... but I haven't posted new content on ANYTHING for a while. A lot's been going on, as all of you know. This darn Corona Virus!  
Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. I've been really excited to start writing from Lars's point of view, and now it's finally here! Hoping y'all can enjoy this amid all the craziness out there.

Lars couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a good meal. Probably not for months. Time worked differently here.

But he could still see the darkness falling.

“Get ready,” he said to his brothers. “They’ll be coming soon.”

The terror of_ their _ arrival had long since numbed to the brothers. Now it was simply dejected looks and suppressed fear.

“Why don’t we ever try to leave?” Rudi grumbled as he donned the dress shirt that had long since become far too large on him. “The exit is right there! If we left during daylight hours--”

“We would become another set of skeletons in the ballroom,” Lars finished. “We have to trust Hans.”

“_Hans_,” Runo scoffed. “When has he ever done anything right? We’ve been sending him those dream messages for ages and nothing!”

“We have to wait for him,” Lars insisted. “He’s the only one with the power to--”

The horribly familiar scream of delight filled the chambers. They had arrived.

Alsie opened the door and leered at the brothers. “We’re ready for you.”

Lars led the routinely single-file line out the door to their partners.

Ismari smiled sweetly at Lars as he took her by the arm. “How do I look?”

“Breathtaking, as always,” Lars replied. She _ was _ very stunning-- with long, lush brown hair and deep brown eyes, plump red lips and long, fluttering eyelashes-- but her beauty did not intoxicate him as it had when he first arrived. He had seen who she truly was.

“Your brothers seem anxious this evening,” Ismari observed with a glance at Frederick, who was trying to shake Tamara off his arm. “Do they not find our hospitality suitable?”

“Of course they do,” said Lars automatically. “They simply tire of the dance.”

“Ah.” Ismari’s eyes took on a vaguely sad light. “They always do. But not us. We _ never _ tire of this dance, my sisters and I.”

Lars knew that, of course. He had seen the skeletons in the ballroom, the decades of suitors who had wasted away within the walls of this hellish place.

_ Please, Hans, _ he prayed silently. _ Hurry. _

The doors opened, and, with a curt nod of stiff, pretended respect toward Ismari, he entered the ballroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooh, shivers! And not just from the spooky skeletons (yikes!). I worry about the state of the rest of the world every day with the Covid-19 pandemic going on, and I'm praying every day that all of you are okay. I will be posting as often as I can in the hopes that I provide some small entertainment in the middle of the panic associated with all that's been going on. Love to all of you, my lovely readers, and stay safe!


	4. Trolls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hans begins his journey to discover the truth about his brothers-- but he has to put up with a few unwanted companions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, lovelies! Sorry about the wait on this one, I know it's not as frequently updated as my other works-- namely The Panda and Dragon Girl-- but it's still a work in progress, meaning I haven't finished the physical draft yet, like I have with a couple of my other works. However, I do have this chapter for you now, so please enjoy!

“You’re _ sure _ you want to do this?”

“Of course,” said Anna shortly, lacing up her boots as she took great care to avoid looking Hans in the eye, an expression of passive displeasure on her face. “I don’t fancy spending a lot of time with the guy who tried to kill me and my sister, obviously, but I can’t just stand by while there’s a threat in my home.”

“Remind me why I thought you’d listen to me again,” Hans grumbled, suppressing a wince at the memory of his past crimes.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

He checked that he was still wearing his ring before pulling his gloves on. The thin silver band had been a gift from Lars on his nineteenth birthday. “You will likely be married into another royal family, being the youngest,” he had told Hans when he gave it to him. “A bridge, so to speak, between us and our allies. Use it to serve your kingdom well.”

“But what’s the point of it?” Hans had demanded. “It’s just a ring!”

Lars had smiled knowingly. “On the outside, yes,” he said. “But its real secret lies within.”

Hans hadn’t understood what Lars meant for some time. Now, of course, he knew that the ring allowed him to summon his sword from thin air, without a sheath. But he still didn’t understand how it would help him serve. All it had done before was cause more trouble when he had tried to use it against Elsa.

The magic had only started working when he arrived in Arendelle, though. That had been his first clue to finding his brothers.

“You ready?” he asked Anna, half hoping he could just leave her behind. Otherwise this was going to be _ awkward_.

“Just about,” said Anna, peeking out the window. "Kristoff should be here soon.”

Hans spun around to gawk at her in horror. “You invited your _ boyfriend_?”

“Of course,” said Anna, looking surprised. “He helped me end the eternal winter, didn’t he? _ And _ he was raised by trolls. He might know more about what happened to your brothers.”

Hans groaned. A quest with his ex-fiancée and her burly, protective boyfriend. How could this get any worse?

“I’m ready too!” called a cheery voice from outside. Olaf waddled in, smiling cheerfully at everything in the room.

Great. She had invited the snowman.

“Did you invite _ everyone _ you know to come with us?” Hans moaned.

“No,” said Anna, oblivious to his clear dislike of her choice of comrades. “Elsa’s not coming.”

Well, a small comfort was better than no comfort at all. Hans sighed and shouldered his small bag of materials. “Fine. but let’s get going before Elsa finds out what we’re up to and stops us. And that _ thing’s _ not coming.” He pointed at Olaf before stalking out to the gates, not waiting for Anna or the stupid snowman.

* * *

This wasn’t fair. Why did Anna get the horse while Hans was made to sit in the sleigh with her huge boyfriend who looked like he very much would have liked to send Hans careening off the edge of the mountain to his death?

The entire ride to the trolls’ residence was uncomfortable. Hans tried to ignore Kristoff’s hard glower, but it wasn’t easy.

Especially with the reindeer glaring at him, too.

At least Anna had convinced the dumb snowman to stay behind.

Hans didn’t speak for the entire journey. To keep his mind off the intimidating ice harvester and creepy reindeer, he pondered the dream he had had the other night, the one that had urged him to return to Arendelle.

He hadn’t seen his brothers. Only darkness had met his eyes. But he _ had _ heard Lars, and the voice of a young woman. _ Ismari, _ he knew she was called, though he didn’t know how. That might be useful information to give to the trolls, though.

Kristoff pulled on the reins, and the sleigh slowed. “We’re here,” he said with an unmistakably distrustful look at Hans.

Hans ignored him. “Let’s get this party started,” he muttered under his breath.

At first glance, the clearing seemed to be full of nothing more than unusually round rocks. But Hans knew better. Sure enough, the “rocks” all rolled toward him and the others, some even going uphill, and morphed into trolls as they got to their feet. One, with a long green cloak that appeared to be made of moss, looked right at Hans the moment he stood. “Prince Hans,” he said with a tone of disbelieving suspicion. “To what do we owe the pleasure?”

A soft murmur rippled across the sea of trolls, and Hans could tell they were talking about him. Judging by the skeptical looks they were giving him, he could easily assume there weren’t many compliments to his physique among their comments.

“It’s about my brothers,” Hans said, choosing to focus solely on the leader troll. “I believe they’ve been taken by dark magic.”

The troll frowned. “Explain, please.”

Hans told him all about his brothers’ mysterious disappearance from the palace in the Southern Isles just weeks before Elsa’s coronation, about the secret in Arendelle he hadn’t figured out yet that corresponded to his brothers’ vanishment. He even told him about his nightmares, which, as he could tell from a quick glance, caused a stricken look to appear on Anna’s face.

The troll in the cloak looked disturbed when Hans had finished. “This is terrible,” he said softly. “A force I had hoped to be banished forever…”

“What is it?” Hans pleaded. “Who is Ismari?”

“A demon,” said the leader troll. “Once a princess in this land, but her foolish desires caused her to turn to dark magic. She hunted down others to join her in the darkness, and preyed on men. There are twelve Shadow Witches now, and I am afraid your brothers have become their most recent victims.”

Hans’s blood chilled. “What are they going to do to my brothers?”

The troll met Han’s frightened gaze with a sad look in his eyes. “They will dance,” he said. “Ismari’s victims dance until they die.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...Aaaaaand that's all we see of Olaf for the remainder of the book.  
Sorry, guys, but I just couldn't think of a way to insert Olaf anywhere else in the book where he would actually be useful. I was considering removing him from the book entirely, but I needed something to get on Hans's nerves.  
The thing about Hans's ring was another little Easter egg I put in here. There's an animation error in Frozen that people went CRAZY over, where every single time Hans draws his sword, you hear it being drawn, but he never wears a sheath. I decided Hans could have a magic ring that allows him to summon a sword without a sheath to excuse the animators.  
Hope you guys are liking this so far. Keep your eyes peeled for more Easter eggs, which I may or may not explain in the notes after the chapters where they appear, depending on how well my brain is functioning at the moment. Have fun and stay safe!


	5. Flattery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lars digs for information to help his youngest brother... but is forced to endure things he wishes it were possible to forget.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again, guys! Sorry about the super short chapter, but there wasn't much to put in here except for the important information. Not to mention the creep factor... but we'll get to that later. Enjoy!

Lars struggled to keep his face an emotionless mask as he led Ismari in a waltz across the ballroom. Her technique was flawless, which Lars assumed would be the case with him as well, if he had danced those steps for a thousand years.

“You are a wonderful dancer, Lars,” Ismari purred, batting her eyelashes at him.

“In no way as talented as you,” Lars replied, impervious to her charms.

Lars thought he saw a brief shadow cross Ismari’s perfect features, but it vanished quickly. “You flatter me so, Your Highness,” she said, looking away in impeccably feigned humility.

“I speak only the truth,” Lars said simply. It was true. He would never have the centuries of practice Ismari had.

Hopefully.

“I hope you do,” Ismari said softly.

Lars jumped. He’d forgotten that Ismari could hear his thoughts.

“None have ever survived more than a year with us,” Ismari went on. With a suddenly greedy look in her eyes, she removed her hand from his shoulder and ran it down his chest, past his ribs. “You’re strong, though. It gives me hope.”

Lars shivered as her hand ravenously explored the surface of his abdomen. With difficulty, he moved her hand back to his shoulder without gagging. “Then perhaps I have a chance to go home?”

Ismari laughed, a sound like tinkling fairy bells. “Oh, no,” she said cheerily. “Our partners must  _ never _ leave. They must dance with us for ever and ever, or until they can dance no longer.”

Lars knew this, of course. Even now, the bones of all the poor men who had died in this terrible place swayed above his head in eerie silence. But there  _ must _ be a way out. If he could just get Ismari talking…

“But there must be some form of transport between this world and the surface,” he said, trying to match Ismari’s tone of flattery she had used on him moments before. “Some way  _ you _ must have created, being so powerful. How else could you have brought us here to your magnificent world?”

Ismari frowned, but his flattery seemed to do the trick. “There is  _ one _ way,” she admitted. “A stairway, in the Temple of Heimdall. But don’t go thinking someone is coming for you, Lars. Even if your people know where to go, only someone with Elemental magic can open the portal.” She laughed again, but there was a cruel edge to the ringing now. “And there has not been anyone with those abilities since myself.”

“And how impressive your abilities are,” Lars agreed, bowing his head respectfully to her, but his mind was racing. He had seen into Hans’s mind several times when contacting him. If the white-haired queen was willing to help Hans…

Lars and the others might have the chance of returning to the Southern Isles.

He could see his father and baby brother again.

And Christine.

Lars went on waltzing in silence, mentally composing his message to Hans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EURGH, Ismari is so CREEPY!!! But she is the character I based on myself, so...  
Don't worry, guys, I don't have the creep factor Ismari does. Ismari kind of represents my dark side, where she's willing to do anything to get the materialistic things she wants, and she doesn't care how many people she has to exploit to get it. She also represents my crazy side, which you'll see later on. Ismari is a little bit mad, and that shows more in the future. She's not the good kind of crazy I am, but she's crazy nonetheless.  
To those of you who have stuck with me so far, thank you so much for your support! I know this isn't the greatest thing anyone's ever read, so thank you all for choosing to read this. Have fun and stay safe!


	6. Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hans has another dream-- one that turns his entire journey around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again, lovelies! I've been so caught up in my Miraculous fic that I almost forgot about this one! But now I have to take a break from that one, so I turned to this. So without further ado, I present to you the next installment in Twelve Dancers! Enjoy!

_ “Hans!” _

Hans’s vision cleared. He saw the clear image of his favorite brother in the same room as before, his eyes intent on him, but Hans knew his own eyes weren’t open. He must have fallen asleep.

_ “Hans!” _Lars said again. His voice reverberated around the room strangely, as though he was speaking underwater. _ “Can you hear me?” _

“Yes,” Hans murmured, and was surprised to find that he could reply at all.

_ “Hans, you must listen carefully,” _said Lars urgently. _ “I don’t have much time. This may be my last opportunity to speak to you.” _

“Where are you?” Hans asked. “What’s going on? Father’s been--”

_ “No time!” _Lars said. _ “Listen-- find the Temple of Heimdall, in the Arendelle forest. That’s where you’ll find us. And you’ll need the woman with white hair, too.” _

“Elsa?” said Hans, surprised. “How do you know about her? What does she--?”

_ “I’m fading,” _Lars warned. He was right. Even as Hans watched, his brother’s face dissolved before his eyes.

_ “Please hurry,” _Lars whispered. _ “We have only days left. And tell Christine--” _

Lars disappeared completely.

* * *

Hans woke with a start. His eyes stung. He realized this was because the sleigh was moving again, and the speed of the oncoming wind was throwing snowflakes from the blizzard that had apparently just started into his eyes.

“Get your rest, Sleeping Beauty?” Kristoff shouted over the gust, his expression sour, as though he could hardly wait to be rid of the Southern prince. Hans had to admit that the feeling was mutual.

“Kristoff, don’t tease,” Anna scolded him. “He’s obviously just had another dream.” She turned to Hans with an anxious look. “You _ have _ had another dream, haven’t you?”

“Yes,” Hans confessed. “And now I know that we’re on the wrong track entirely.”

“What are you talking about?” Kristoff demanded. “Grandpappy specifically said--”

“I _ know _ what he said,” said Hans irritably. “But he’s wrong.” He told them about the Temple of Heimdall.

“I’ve heard of that,” said Anna, frowning. “My father said it was lost in the woods centuries ago.”

“Well, apparently it’s still out there,” said Hans. “And that’s where we’re going to find my brothers.”

“Excuse me,” interrupted Kristoff. “_ We? _I was under the impression that _ we _ would only go as far as the trolls. You’re on your own now.”

“Kristoff!” exclaimed Anna with a shocked look on her face. “How can you say that?”

“You heard what Grandpappy said about those ‘Shadow Witches’,” said Kristoff. “Personally, I’d like to live out the rest of my days in Arendelle rather than spend them dancing myself to death.”

“Then go home,” Anna said, her voice quavering. “Go home and stay in your safe little hole instead of helping someone who really needs it.”

Kristoff looked like he had been smacked between the eyes, which made Hans smirk. He almost felt guilty at being so pleased with Anna’s cruelty, but chased it away by telling himself that Kristoff may have deserved it a tiny bit. _ That’s how it feels, _ he thought spitefully, _ to be struck by the princess of Arendelle. _

When Kristoff didn’t say anything more, Hans cleared his throat and said, “Actually, _ all _ of us are going to need to go back to Arendelle.” He told them about what he had seen in his dream, though Anna was the only one to respond.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” she asked, her eyes apprehensive. “You _ do _ know she hates you, right?”

“I’m well aware of that fact,” Hans sighed. “But whether I like it or not, I’m going to need your sister’s help.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I was typing this up, I passed the "lost in the woods" line Anna gives in reference to the Temple of Heimdall, and I was completely shooketh. I wrote this chapter MONTHS before Frozen 2 came out, long before the soundtrack was even released. Just more proof that I actually am psychic! (This hasn't been officially tested yet, but I'm convinced it's true.)  
As I was writing this chapter, I was reminded of one of my favorite scenes from the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe, for those of you uneducated noobs like me up until about two weeks ago). I am a HUGE fan of the Thor movies, and there were several things in here that reminded me of them. One, of course, is the Temple of HEIMDALL, who I chose to worship in this book because he is a freaking GOD in every sense of the words, literal and OMIGOSHHISFIGHTSCENESTHO!!!!!!! Also, when writing that part where Anna chews out Kristoff and Hans is all like "Now you understand my pain", I was reminded of the scene in Ragnarok when Hulk is beating Thor up and Loki screams "THAT'S HOW IT FEELS!!" Hee-hee...  
Hope you guys are enjoying this so far and somehow surviving quarantine. Have fun and stay safe!


	7. Diary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hans returns to Arendelle with his companions, unsure if Elsa will agree to help him. But even if she does, what if what they find is not what they expect?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again, Frozen fans! I'm glad I could bring you this chapter so soon! I have been SUPER caught up with one of my other works, but that one is finally finished, and I'm forcing myself to take a break from it before I post the next book in the series. Luckily, that leaves me plenty of time to work on this one! Enjoy!

“I thought I already told you,” said Elsa. “_I can’t help you._” She shot a hard look at her sister. “_We _ can’t help you.”

“Please, Elsa,” Anna begged. “I know it doesn’t sound good, but you didn’t hear the whole story! If you’d just--”

“My answer is no,” Elsa said firmly. She glanced at Hans, and the hatred in her eyes seemed to bore right into his soul. “It will _ always _ be no with him.”

Anna’s shoulders slumped in defeat, and anger surged up inside of Hans. Sure, he had been manipulating her during their very, _ very _ brief courtship, but he had really gotten to know her, and now held a high level of respect for her.

“Elsa, wait,” he said quickly, rushing up to the queen. “Please, you _ have _ to help us.”

“Give me one good reason why I should,” Elsa snapped at him.

“You have to protect your kingdom,” Hans said. “Do you really think the Shadow Witches will stop at my brothers? If we don’t defeat them, they’ll just keep capturing your subjects to be their dance partners. If we rescue my brothers, we can trap the Shadow Witches in their own prison and protect Arendelle from them forever.”

Elsa’s stony expression was frozen in place, but Hans knew he had gotten to her. Having been trained to take the throne of the Southern Isles in his brothers’ absence, he knew the obligation of a ruler to their people.

“I… I will try,” Elsa finally said after a moment of apparent interior struggle. “But should anything-- _ anything_\-- that we encounter pose a risk to the safety of my kingdom, I will not hesitate to let you die.”

Hans swallowed nervously. “Sounds fair.”

* * *

“Here,” Elsa said, removing a thick, dusty book from a shelf in the royal library. “The complete history of temples in Arendelle and the surrounding areas. If you want to find this ‘Temple of Heimdall,’ it should be in here.”

Hans took the book. It was bound in plain brown leather, with silver runes embossed on the front cover. He opened it up eagerly, but his face fell as he read the details for the Temple of Heimdall.

“There’s nothing here!” he said, crestfallen. “_‘The Temple of Heimdall disappeared many thousands of years ago, with no clues to its whereabouts, whether current or original, and no information discovered according to the rituals and sacrifices performed within’ _!”

“What?” said Elsa, snatching the book from Hans to read it herself. Upon finishing the passage Hans had just read aloud, she slammed the book shut, immense frustration clearly written upon her face. “What are we supposed to do now?”

Anna’s eyes sparked. “Papa’s stories,” she said to Elsa. “Remember? He always had that white book with him…”

Elsa’s eyes widened. “Of course!” She rummaged through the shelves, finally withdrawing a small book with a white cover triumphantly.

“Papa always read us the story of the Temple of Heimdall from this book,” she explained. “There must be _ something _ in here…”

She opened the book and scanned the pages. Her expression slowly grew more and more shocked and afraid with every word she read. “Oh…” she said in a small voice.

“What is it?” Anna asked, peeking over her sister’s shoulder curiously.

“So _ this _ is why Papa never let me read it myself,” Elsa said softly.

“Let me see,” said Hans, holding his hand out for the book. Elsa wordlessly handed it to him.

Hans opened the book, and his blood froze as he read the first few pages. It was a diary. But that fact wasn’t what frightened him. It was the name written inside.

_ Ismari. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha... Hans's blood "froze"... I can be funny!  
Oh, yeah, and there's a diary belonging to a psycho witch who's been alive forever in the library in the royal palace. What else is new?  
I always get that little sense of "heh-heh" every time I write that something pertaining to one of the characters "freezes." Especially that part where "Elsa's stony expression was *frozen* on her face." Heh... I think I perceive myself as funnier than I actually am. Sorry.  
In other news, that journal! When you read the next chapter, you'll wonder why King Agnarr would have thought it was a good idea to read his daughters bedtime stories from this book. In truth, Agnarr would always have been reading these disturbing passages when the girls would ask him what he was doing. He would tell them about the mysterious disappearance of the Temple of Heimdall, then warn them not to go looking for it at any time in their lives because of the dark magic that could have been surrounding it. I know it's not the kind of thing most people would choose to tell their children just before lights out, but remember, this is the same guy who decided it would be a good idea to put his daughters to sleep with the story about how their grandpa died, so...  
Of course, he would always end these stories with "Don't tell your mother."  
...Comedy.  
Thank you so much for reading this! I am still not finished with the draft of the rest of the rest of the book (I'm kind of stumped on a fight scene at the end... and the end in general), so I'm sorry if a few chapters from now I slow down considerably. Still, there are other things to read on this site, and if you really are a huge fan of Frozen, try checking out my other work in this fandom, All is Lost, which tells the story of how Agnarr and Iduna fell in love and how Iduna integrated into Arendelle society. Have fun and stay safe!


	8. For Ever and Ever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A princess reveals how she came to embrace the shadows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my lovelies! I am so happy to bring you the next installment of Twelve Dancers. Enjoy!

_ Dear diary, _

_ My name is Ismari. I am eighteen years of age, and I am the princess of the kingdom of Arendelle. Arendelle is a relatively young kingdom, as I am young. Papa says I will make a good queen. _

_ But I do not believe I will enjoy being queen. A queen must sit through boring meetings and state affairs. She cannot dance until her feet are too exhausted to keep her standing upright. _

_ I wish I could dance for ever and ever. _

* * *

_ Dearest diary, it appears I may get my wish! It is possible that I will get to dance until the end of time! _

_ It is all thanks to the old hag who appeared to me during my evening stroll in the woods last night. She swore to teach me magic, magic that would allow me to dance for eternity. _

_ Now, it should be no secret to you, diary, that I  _ already _ have magic. I am one who can manipulate the Elements-- Earth and Wind, Fire and Ice. I have been practicing these powers my entire life, and I find that I am more partial to the art of Fire magic. _

_ But magic that would enable me to dance forever, to fulfill my dream? I  _ had _ to take it, diary, I just had to! _

_ And so I am training in the arts of the fifth Element, one which anyone, Elementalist or no, can learn-- Shadow. And I learned something even more incredible during my first lesson with the hag last night-- my new powers will keep me young and beautiful for as long as I continue to dance. _

_ Oh, to be eighteen and beautiful for all time and eternity! It is every girl’s dream come true! _

* * *

_ Oh, diary, it is only the most wonderful thing! My teacher has told me of the most beautiful little place in the woods, not two hundred paces from the picnicking clearing, called the Temple of Heimdall, where I will be able to create my dancing kingdom! I shall dance and dance for ever and ever, and Papa will never find me! _

_ But it will be quite lonely, dancing all alone for all time. Perhaps I will find myself a partner, and other couples to dance alongside me for ever and ever and ever! _

_ And so this is where I leave you, diary. From now on, I will be dancing for ever and ever and ever... _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooh, creepy! I had so much fun writing this chapter because it really allowed me to dive into Ismari's character. In almost every one of my books, I include a character who is based somewhat on myself, and Ismari is that character in this book, except creepier. To help me while I write, I try to live my life through the perspective of the character who represents myself. When I came up with the idea for this book, I was SO EXCITED to write myself in as a villain! I finally got to explore my inner darkness, and there I found madness. So Ismari was written as the villain who knows she is mad and insists that her madness is right. However, since this book is mostly written from Hans's perspective, I wasn't able to portray that through my words. So this chapter was my opportunity to really give an insight into Ismari's mind.  
Thank you so much for reading! Have fun and stay safe!


	9. Elementalist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hans has had a revelation after reading Ismari's diary-- but Elsa's is even more mind-shattering.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again, fam! This chapter didn't take long to prepare for y'all, so I hope you enjoy!

Hans closed Ismari’s journal, a sick feeling churning in his stomach.  _ This _ was the monster that had imprisoned his brothers?

“She turned to black magic,” he said quietly. “It corrupted her. She must have turned the other eleven to dark magic as well. And my brothers… they’ve taken them to be their partners until they dance themselves to death.”

“At least we know where to find them,” Anna said, rereading the last entry. “ ‘The picnicking clearing…’ Do you think that’s the same as the one we went to for our picnics as kids?” she asked, turning to her sister.

Elsa nodded absently, and Hans knew that she was thinking about the second passage, the one where Ismari claimed to have power over the Elements. That meant that Elsa might not be the only one who had magic. Maybe there were others out there with powers similar to hers.

Anna didn’t seem to notice this. She scooped up Ismari’s diary and gave Hans and her sister an impatient look. “Well?” she demanded. “What are we waiting for? Let’s go!” She bounded out of the library.

Hans didn’t follow right away. He stayed behind, and, thinking he must be out of his mind, he approached Elsa.

“I always thought I must be the only one,” she murmured as he got close. “I always thought the gods must have given me my powers as either a blessing or a curse. But now to find out that others have had magic before me--”

“I always knew,” said Hans, pulling off his right glove to show her his ring. “About humans having access to magic, I mean.”

Elsa’s eyes widened as she saw the ring. “You have a talisman?” she gasped. “Where did you get it?”

Hans told her about Lars giving him the ring as a gift, and about its powers. She nodded slowly in comprehension.

“The ring is man-made,” Hans said, replacing his glove on his hand. “I don’t know how Lars came across it, but I always assumed that the maker persuaded the trolls to enchant it. But now I think it may have been the maker himself.”

Elsa nodded. “Don’t lose that,” she said, gesturing at his now-concealed talisman. “You never know. It may come to a fight.”

She sat in thoughtful silence for a moment. Then she opened her hand, and a tiny flurry of snowflakes appeared over her palm. Hans shivered, remembering the out-of-control blizzard Elsa had accidentally created sixteen months earlier.

“Fire and ice,” she murmured. “This should be fun.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice."  
Or maybe in the hands of two OP women who can control both.  
I know ice technically isn't an Element, guys, but I had to work with what I had. Ice IS water that's gotten really cold, so it can be a manifestation of Elemental power, right?  
I feel like the things I write bring up too many unrelated references in my mind. While rereading Elsa's little bit about how she thought she was the only one with magic, all I could hear in my brain was Tigger singing "IIIIIIIII'MMM the only one!"  
...I need serious psychological help, guys.  
Thank you for reading! Have fun and stay safe!


	10. Journey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hans begins the journey to find his brothers, accompanied by the royal sisters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again, Frozen fans! Welcome back to Twelve Dancers! Please enjoy!

It had taken quite a lot of convincing to talk Kristoff into staying behind, ironically. It appeared that he was determined to prove Anna’s previous statements about his cowardice wrong.

“You should stay here, for Arendelle’s sake,” Hans tried. “Both of the royal sisters are coming with me to the Temple of Heimdall. Someone has to be in charge, and you’re practically a member of the royal family already.”

“Make Anna stay behind,” Kristoff said doggedly. “It’s too dangerous for her-- wherever you’re planning to go.”

Hans knew Kristoff didn’t believe that one little bit. Anna had walked through a raging magical blizzard with a frozen heart, for Odin’s sake! Kristoff just didn’t trust him, and Hans knew he really couldn’t blame him.

“You think I haven’t tried that already?” he said. “The girl’s as stubborn as a mule when it comes to adventure, Ice-Boy. You should know that better than anyone.” He breathed deeply, attempting to regain control over his stress. “Anna can take care of herself. And Elsa will be coming, too, just in case anything goes wrong.” He didn’t need to add that the queen, at least, was worthy of Kristoff’s trust.

At last, Kristoff agreed to stay in the city and play leader-- temporarily. The snowman had to stay behind again, too. He would be nothing but a distraction in Ismari’s kingdom. And Hans, admittedly, still couldn’t stand his constant chatter.

It wasn’t till Hans and the sisters reached the “picnicking clearing” that they had no idea in which direction the two hundred paces went.

“Let’s split up,” Hans decided. “We’ll find the temple faster that way. We’ll all go separate directions.”

“What do we do if one of us finds it?” asked Anna.

“Here,” Elsa said. She clenched her fists. When she opened them, a whistle made of perfectly clear ice lay in each of her palms. “Blow these if you find it. They won’t melt, but they  _ will _ shatter when you use them.” She offered the whistles to Hans and her sister. Hans took his and pocketed it. The cold of the ice stung his leg through the fabric of his trousers.

“What about you?” Anna asked, taking the other whistle.

Elsa’s eyes twinkled. “Keep your eyes on the sky.”

Hans nodded to show he understood before turning toward the forest. Snow dusted the barren branches of the trees closest to him and sparkled in the sunlight, but as the trees grew thicker together, an ominous darkness replaced the light further along. As he listened, Hans could have sworn he heard a woman’s sinister cackle from deep within.

Hans shook himself to clear his head.  _ Stop it, _ he told himself.  _ Soon enough you’ll be  _ seeing _ things that aren’t really there. _

Anna and Elsa stood at his back, the three of them facing opposite directions, ready to step into the woods and leave the others behind. He could easily guess that they were thinking the same thing he was; if they went through with this, any of them might not come out.

“Ready?” Elsa asked. The soft question sounded deafening in the eerie silence.

Anna nodded. Hans tried to gather his wits, but all he felt was a chilling shiver of fear running down his spine.

Still, there was no reason to let it show. “Let’s go find a lost temple,” he said, struggling to keep the tremble out of his voice.

Before he could talk himself out of it, he stepped into the trees.

* * *

The first few steps weren’t so bad. If he looked over either of his shoulders, it wasn’t difficult to catch a glimpse of Anna’s bright red hair or Elsa’s ice-blue cloak.

But then the vegetation thickened, and they were all three swallowed up by the thick darkness.

Hans counted his paces as he walked, trying to slow the violent thudding of his heart.  _ Thirteen, fourteen, fifteen. _

A raven cawed in the distance, a sound of warning in Hans’s ears.  _ Forty-seven, forty-eight, forty-nine. _

His heart pounded in his throat, threatening to burst out and run away.  _ Seventy-two, seventy-three, seventy-four. _

He decided to focus on good memories to calm himself. His seventh birthday party, the first and only one the twins hadn’t ruined.  _ One hundred and five, one hundred and six. _

His father, telling him that he loved him, as even more than just a peace treaty. The statement had been contradicted just days after it had been uttered, but it had still been nice to hear at the time.  _ One hundred fifty-one, one hundred fifty-two. _

Lars, smiling at him on his nineteenth birthday. “The other guys are jealous. They don’t have one-hundredth of the selflessness and courage that you do.”  _ One hundred ninety-six, one hundred ninety-seven. _

Hans froze. He thought Lars’s name again, just to be sure that he wasn’t imagining it. And then he heard it again.

_ Hans. _

Lars’s voice, as clear as day in Hans’s mind, even clearer than it had ever been in any of his dreams. That could only mean one thing.

He was close.  _ Very _ close.

Hans spun around in a full circle, searching wildly for anything that might hint at the location of the temple, but there was nothing that he could see.

_ Nothing he could see. _ Something clicked in Hans’s mind. It was a crazy idea, but…

He took a single, hesitant step forward. Nothing.

_ A round number, _ he thought. That usually worked in fairy tales, right? He took another step, more sure of his theory this time. A gigantic blue ice crystal appeared in the sky ahead of him and to his right as he did so. Elsa.

He was bewildered at first. Elsa had been at his back when they had first started. How had she made it in front of him? He started to turn back to see how she could have done it, but realized how close he must be. Determined, he took one more step.

As if his movement had triggered some magic spell, the trees vanished all at once, and there was nothing to block his vision.

The short, high-pitched screech of Anna’s whistle pierced the air in the same moment that he saw it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading this chapter! Not many notes I can provide on this chapter, at least not that I can think of off the top of my head. There are probably some holes in here that need filling, but I can't remember them right now because I'm kind of brain-dead. If you find any and you want to know what goes in there, just leave a comment down below and I will try to respond if I'm conscious. Thank you for reading Twelve Dancers! Have fun and stay safe!


	11. Temple

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The temple has been found-- and now Hans must start the journey to Ismari's realm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, Frozen fans! Sorry this took a while, I've been working on other stuff. But now it's finally here! Enjoy!

It had been abandoned for centuries, that much was clear. The painted shields adorning the outer columns had lost almost all their color, the gold and silver set into the decorative carvings weathered and tarnished. The wooden door had rotted almost entirely, and the roof had long since caved in.

But it was filled to the brim with magic. Hans could feel it entering his body through the top of his skull and sending tingles all the way down his spine.

Anna and Elsa stepped out of the trees where he could see them. “That was fast,” said Elsa, looking surprised.

“We all got here at the same time,” said Anna, frowning. “Even though we went different directions. It’s almost as if…”

“As if something was waiting for us,” Hans finished grimly. He knew as he said the words that they were true.

“Or some_one_,” Elsa said quietly.

Hans shivered. That dark demon was _ here_. He wondered if she was watching them now, lying in wait…

Hans shook his head in an attempt to clear his mind. “Well, what are we waiting for?” he asked, trying for a confident look. “Let’s investigate.”

He stepped toward the temple, refusing to let Ismari get to him.

* * *

The moment he entered, he knew something was wrong.

From outside the temple, Hans could see an ancient altar, rusted daggers, and a cracked, apparently-empty ceramic bowl. Hardly out of the ordinary for an abandoned shrine.

Once he crossed the line between the exterior and the interior, however, everything changed.

There _ was _ a roof to the structure; however, it was made of the tangled branches of four magnificent trees, one in each corner of the temple. The walls between the trees were decorated with old artifacts in glass cases, far too recent of an addition for a temple that was supposed to have been completely wiped off the map centuries ago.

He took a cautious step into the temple, his hand poised to draw his sword. But no trap was sprung.

“It’s all right,” he called to his companions. “But you might want to see this.”

Anna and Elsa followed him into the shrine. “Wow,” Anna breathed, looking around in wonder.

Elsa approached the center of the temple. Where the altar had appeared to be in the prior illusion, a large black carpet with a gold maze pattern rested on the floor. “That’s strange,” she said with a frown. “Why are there runes in the gold lines?”

“Runes?” Anna repeated, crossing to join her sister. “I don’t see any runes.”

“What are you talking about?” Elsa demanded. “They’re right there, clear as day.”

“Elsa, there’s nothing there,” said Anna, looking troubled. “Are you okay?”

The color drained from Elsa’s face. “It’s the entrance,” she realized. “I can see it because I have Elemental magic. That’s why it only appears to me.”

“Well, what are you waiting for?” said Hans, joining the sisters. “Use your magic. Open it up.”

“Hans, where did you get that?” Anna chided, sounding like a mother whose favorite child had been caught with his hand in the sweets.

Hans fiddled with the ties of the purple cloak that he definitely hadn’t been wearing before. “Found it.”

“Put it back!” Elsa hissed. “It might be cursed!”

“_I _ think it suits me,” said Hans. He fastened the ties of the cloak, and Anna gasped.

“Hans!” she exclaimed. “Where did you go?”

Hans looked down and yelped. His body had disappeared from underneath him. He had become--

“Invisible,” Elsa breathed. “Hans, you found an Invisibility Cloak!”

Hans swallowed, trying to pull himself together. “Well,” he managed, “that should be useful in Ismari’s kingdom.”

He undid the ties, and to his relief, he became visible again.

Elsa stared back at where Hans guessed the runes in the carpet were. “They say… they say to ‘activate the maze’,” she said. “But I don’t know--”

Her hand, which had been resting on the carpet over one of the gold lines, suddenly glowed pale blue. She jerked her hand back, and the maze seemed to lower into the ground, becoming a staircase that slowly spiraled down into pure blackness.

The sisters looked at Hans. “Now’s your moment,” Anna said.

Hans gulped. “Wish me luck.”

With that, he fastened his cloak and descended into the darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Well, I think it suits me." XD Classic Hans.  
Not much I can provide in notes here. In the original fairy tale of The Twelve Dancing Princesses, of course, the soldier who solved the mystery had an Invisibility Cloak, so I had to include that in here. And the idea for the rug came from a retelling of Twelve Dancing Princesses I really liked by Jessica Day George. I would highly suggest you read it if you like dark retellings of fairy tales, it's called Princess of the Midnight Ball, go check it out while you're stuck at home during quarantine. But that's about all I can give you today. Have fun and stay safe!


	12. Bridge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hans delves into Ismari's kingdom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, Frozen fans, we are back! Sorry it's taken me a while to get going on this, but I'm gonna be posting quite a bit more in the near future (hopefully). Enjoy!

Hans didn’t like being invisible. It just felt _ wrong_, not being able to see his body when he looked down, even though he could feel his feet hitting the stairs.

But it was better than the alternative. Ismari wouldn’t know he was there. Hopefully.

Down, down, down. Hans was starting to get dizzy.

And then-- light! It wasn’t sunlight, or lamp-light, or any other sort of natural light, but still-- he knew he must be getting close.

He was right. Only a few minutes later, the decline stopped. Just in front of him sat a black wrought-iron gate. And beyond--

Hans was breathless. Beyond the gate lay the most beautiful scene he had ever envisioned. A green landscape led to a dazzling blue lake, surrounded by trees with leaves of gold and silver and some other beautiful metal he had no name for. Beyond the lake lay a majestic palace that gleamed gold and sparkled with precious stones laid into the walls.

It was the most enchanting thing Hans had ever seen. Which was exactly why it terrified him.

Hans knew that nothing good could have created such a devastatingly perfect world beneath the surface, where it didn’t belong. This was just like that exotic plant his father had recovered on one of his expeditions, the flytrap-- sitting poised, beautiful, seemingly harmless-- then _ snap! _ Its prey, distracted by its intoxicating beauty, was trapped, helpless, good as dead.

Hans could only hope that hadn’t happened to Lars yet.

Hans sneaked across the landscape, careful not to breathe in too much of the sweet scent of the jewel-colored flowers at his feet. Even the trace amounts of their aroma he was gettin were making his eyelids droop.

When Hans reached the edge of the water, he realized this was as far as his plan went. He could see twelve golden boats on the other side of the lake, but he himself had no way of getting across. Except maybe…

He remembered Lars’s words to him when he had given him the ring. _ “You will likely be married into another royal family. A bridge, so to speak.” _

A bridge…

Hans removed his glove, but hesitated. He was reluctant to simply throw the ring into the water, should he be mistaken. But maybe he didn’t need it to be the ring itself…

He reached up and snapped a silver branch off a nearby tree, wincing at the sharp _ crack _ that echoed across the landscape. Hopefully, it only sounded that loud to him.

He slid the twig through his ring and whispered, “_Bridge._” Then he cast the silver branch into the water.

The twig sank into the sparkling waves, and Hans looked on in dismay as nothing else happened. Had he made a mistake?

But just as he was turning away to go back up to the surface to retrieve Elsa and have _ her _ make the bridge, white foam appeared on the surface of the water. As Hans watched in amazement, a silver bridge erupted from the waves, reaching all the way across the lake to the opposite shore. He experimentally placed a foot on the silver structure and shifted his weight. The metal held strong. Invigorated by his newfound success, he began crossing.

As Hans walked further out over the lake, he began feeling more and more uneasy. The surface of the water was _ too _ blue, _ too _ glittery. He began to wonder what hideous things the tropical sea could be concealing and hastened his strides.

He reached the castle not a moment too soon. The second his weight left the magical structure, it sank back into the depths of the lake.

The meaning of the disappearance was clear: There was no going back now.

Hans listened carefully. If he strained his ears, he could hear a soft orchestra playing a waltz that was eerily similar to the one he had danced to with Anna at Elsa’s coronation, which was joined by several giggling voices that belonged to young women his age or younger-- when in truth he knew that all of them had been alive for a century at least.

For a moment, Hans doubted. Maybe he didn’t _ have _ to do this. He could steal a boat, row back to shore, go back up the staircase, and tell Anna and Elsa that it had been a false lead. A mere coincidence, really, that Elemental magic was required to enter this place, that Ismari’s journal described this exact location, that the trolls had warned him about this very place. He could go back to the Southern Isles, serve the rest of his punishment, inherit the throne, and live a long, happy, _ safe _ life as king. He need never worry about this godforsaken place ever again.

But could he live with himself if he did that? If he just left his brothers here to die?

He remembered what Lars had been trying to say to him in his last dream. He had no idea what Lars had wanted him to tell Christine. Lars’s betrothed was the only one who had taken his disappearance harder than Hans. For nearly two years now, she had sat alone in her room, inconsolable, hardly eating or drinking anything, she was so consumed with grief.

If Hans abandoned Lars here, how could he ever face Christine again?

The answer was pretty clear. Hans squared his shoulders, his mouth set in determination. _ No, _ he thought, _ I will _ not _ tell Christine. You, Lars, will be the one to tell her whatever it is you want her to know, because you _ will _ be returning home. _

He sneaked in through the open palace doors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good job, Hans, you didn't chicken out! I'm so proud of you!  
The forest of precious metal was another thing that was figured pretty heavily in the original fairy tale, so I felt it was an element (ha) that needed to be included here, just like the Invisibility Cloak. Fun fact: Hans's ring is actually made out of similar, if not the same, silver as the branch he made the bridge out of.  
Speaking of the bridge, it may seem a little strange how quickly Hans came to the solution. Perhaps it was Lars's emphasis on the bridge metaphor? And on that note, was Lars aware of the magical qualities the ring possesses when he gave it to Hans? That's for you readers to determine.  
Thank you so much for reading! Have fun and stay safe!


	13. Ball

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hans has found his brothers at last-- but there is still much left to do before this adventure is over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, guys! This is one of my FAVORITE chapters, because OMIGOSH ISMARIIIIII!!! You'll see what I'm talking about when you read.  
Oh, by the way, I included some music for this chapter, too. This is the first time I've done this in this book, but it seemed to work pretty well in my other works. Just click on the link and listen as you read. Enjoy!

[ _Mood Music: Blood Moon Waltz (from Star VS The Forces of Evil)_ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfl45C_fDbc)

It wasn’t difficult to find the ballroom. It was the only part of the palace that bore signs of any kind of life.

However, Hans _ was _ slowed by the grandeur of the palace.

The walls were made of pure gold. Masterful ebony-framed portraits lined the halls, devastatingly beautiful eyes smiling down at him. Hans paused for a moment to admire an exquisitely-crafted set of silver candlesticks adorned with emeralds and sapphires and rubies.

But he wasn’t here to take a tour. He had to find Lars.

And find him he did. In fact, he found all twelve of his brothers, waltzing in the ballroom with impossibly-beautiful girls as their partners, their expressions ranging from fatigue to fear to despair.

And there, in the middle of them all, was Lars, his expression blank, emotionless, as he spun his partner under his arm so that Hans could see her face.

Hans’s jaw dropped. Though all of the girls were very lovely, Lars’s partner was the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. Her long, silky chocolate-colored hair flowed past her waist and curled teasingly at the ends. Her calf-brown eyes sparkled with amusement, and her ruby-red lips curved upwards in a dazzling smile. Her royal blue ballgown accentuated her figure in the most flattering way, highlighting her already-perfect curves. She wore no slippers or stockings, but danced barefoot, dipping and twirling with the flawless grace of gently-falling snow.

Hans felt a vague discomfort in his chest and realized he had forgotten to breathe. He inhaled quickly and ducked behind a chair as Sevastian’s partner turned her head, momentarily forgetting that he was invisible. He pinched the bridge of his nose and took several deep breaths. From the trolls’ description, Lars’s partner had to be Ismari.

Hans straightened and turned his attention back to Lars, determined not to let Ismari’s beauty distract him again. He noticed that Lars’s mouth was moving, if only barely. Wanting to hear what he was saying to Ismari, Hans decided to get a little closer. He weaved in and out of his dancing brothers, very nearly tripping over the ridiculously-long train of the gown of Galen’s partner, until he was close enough to make out Lars and Ismari’s conversation.

“...don’t know _ why _ you keep refusing, Lars,” Ismari said, her tone teasing yet firm. “It would be quite an honor, really. You could rule alongside me forever.”

“It’s a generous offer,” said Lars flatly, “but I must decline. I would rather do as I must until my heart stops beating.”

“But what if it _ didn’t _ stop?” Ismari suggested, a little too innocently. “What if you were strong enough to live?”

“Then I would hope to one day become strong enough to return home,” Lars said, and Hans’s heart swelled with pride for his brother.

Ismari laughed gaily, a sound like musical bells. “Oh, Lars,” she said with amused ruefulness. “When will you come to understand? _ This _ is your home now.” Her hand slowly drifted from Lars’s shoulder and began stroking his chest delicately.

Hans’s ears rang with fury. Who did this girl think she was? She was _ touching _ his brother! He almost threw off the Invisibility Cloak to strike her, but Lars smoothly guided her into a turn and replaced her hand on his shoulder. It was such a practiced move that Hans had to wonder how many times he’d been forced to use it during his time here.

“This will never be my home,” he said softly. “My home will always be with the ones I love.”

Under most circumstances, Hans would have assumed Lars was only talking about their father and Christine. But he just couldn’t shake the feeling that Lars meant him, _ Hans_, as well.

“And do you not love your brothers?” Ismari asked, sweeping her arm across the ballroom at the other eleven princes. “Do they not make this place a home?”

“I do love my brothers,” Lars admitted. “But I think that they would agree with me when I say that our family-- the collection of people we love, that is-- would never be complete here in this world.”

“Oh, but it could be, Lars,” Ismari murmured. “It could be.”

She stroked Lars’s shoulder and hummed contentedly, like a cat purring. For the first time Hans could remember, Lars looked truly frightened.

Ismari noticed Lars’s expression and giggled. “Oh, no, not like that,” she said humorously. “Although, I suppose that would not be an _ unpleasurable _ option. No, I meant that I could bring your final brother here, the thirteenth.”

Lars’s face hardened. “How did you know?”

“Oh, please, Lars,” Ismari said, rolling her eyes in amusement, like Lars was a young child who had just asked her why people had fingers. “There are no secrets here. I _ am _ the creator of this world, after all.”

Lars’s expression was blank, but Hans knew his heart must be racing. However, he only knew this because he knew his brother so well; Lars did not allow his agitation to be shown on his face. “That could never happen,” he said stonily. “Hans would never fall for a trick like the one you pulled to bring us here. It would be impossible.”

“Oh, not impossible,” said Ismari, shaking her head. “Not impossible at all. Relatively easy, in fact.” She turned and smiled brightly at the exact spot where her concealed, solitary audience was standing. “Isn’t that right, Hans?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GAHHHHH ISMARI IS SO CREEPY!! That's why I love her, though. She's such an intricate character, it's really interesting to develop her character.  
And then THAT CLIFFHANGER THO!!! I am SO FREAKING IN LOVE with cliffhangers! And I apologize, but there's going to be a lot more in the near future.  
Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Have fun and stay safe!


	14. Exposed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hans has been exposed by Ismari.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! Can't wait for you to read this chapter! Enjoy!

Hans felt like ice had been injected into his veins. Ismari was smiling right at him, her eyes meeting his exactly. It was like she could see right through the spell.

“Oh, you are smart,” Ismari said in admiration. “Yes, I _ can _ see through your Invisibility Cloak, Hans. I enchanted it, you know.”

“Ismari?” said Lars, frowning. “What are you talking about? Is someone there?” He squinted at the place where Hans stood, though Hans knew it wouldn’t help.

Hans hadn’t noticed the music had stopped, but suddenly he was surrounded by his brothers and their partners. “What is it, sister?” the blonde next to Stefan hissed. “An intruder?” She glared at a spot just two feet away from where Hans stood with such intensity that Hans felt daggers were going to start flying from her eyes.

“No intruder, Sumaya,” said Ismari cheerfully. “A guest. Won’t you remove your cloak, Hans? It would make this so much easier.”

Hans was tempted to refuse, but the shocked looks on his brothers’ faces told him that he had no choice. His mouth set, he undid the ties of the cloak.

His brothers gasped as he rippled into view. “_Hans? _” said the twins, their mouths open as wide as snakes’.

Ismari clapped her hands gleefully. “Wonderful!” she exclaimed. “Now all your family is here! Oh, I _ so _ hoped you would come!”

“_Hoped? _” demanded Lars. “How did you know that he knew?”

“Oh, please,” said Ismari, rolling her eyes. “Who do you think allowed you to communicate with him in his dreams? I _ wanted _ him to know I was keeping you here.”

“Why?” Hans asked, speaking for the first time in what seemed like hours. “Why would you want me to find you?”

Ismari smiled at him, but he wasn’t dazzled like before. “You have something that belongs to me, Hans,” she said softly, “and I’d like it back.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Hans said defiantly, but he was filled with the sudden desire to hide his gloved hand from the eyes of the Shadow Witches.

“Oh, but I think you do,” said Ismari. “Your most prized possession, isn’t it? I don’t blame you-- its capabilities _ are _ quite incredible, and if Lars gave it to you…” She looked hungrily at Lars, then sighed. “Alas, I _ did _ make it, and I rather need it back now.”

Hans shivered. “_You? _ ” he said, completely forgetting to keep on pretending. “_You _ made--?”

“Yes, precisely!” said Ismari, seeming pleased that he was finally catching on. “You see, I’ve grown rather tired of my kingdom down here, beautiful as it is. I would so love to see the sun again, and I have heard that someone else has taken the throne of Arendelle.” She frowned sourly. “I’ve changed my mind about becoming queen. Thanks to the souls of my former dance partners, I am now powerful enough to return and make the whole world my dancing kingdom, and I intend to do so.

“There’s just one thing I still need, though,” she continued. “The ring. I must create a magical bridge that will allow my sisters to come with me.” She smoldered beautifully at Hans. “I’m sure you understand the loyalties of family yourself, Hans.”

She smiled as Hans stood there, speechless. “The ring, Hans. Now.”

Hans was suddenly overwhelmed with the desire to do as she said. She only wanted to help her sisters! He reached down and began to tug the glove off of his right hand.

Then he saw Lars’s face. It was the same face he had made when Hans had first started learning to wield a sword. _ “Follow your instincts,” _ he had said. _ “Don’t let anyone tell you to ‘do this’ or ‘do that’. You have your own style of doing things.” _

Hans knew what his style was now. He just had to have the courage to use it.

He reached into his pocket and blew into Elsa’s ice whistle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MORE CLIFFHANGERSSSSSS!!! I LOVE doing this!  
So we have some more new information, and I just wanted to clear up some things about Ismari's powers. Her shadow magic gives her the power to read minds, enchant objects, and see through enchantments, for a few things. She can also connect minds, which she has done with Lars and Hans. This allowed Lars to send dream messages to Hans. And yes, Ismari did enchant almost all of the relics in the Temple of Heimdall, though a few were left over there from the former inhabitants of the Temple.  
And now for the question you all are probably asking: If Ismari made Hans's ring, how did Lars come across it, and how did neither Lars nor Hans know Ismari made it? I promise I will answer those questions in future chapters, but not before a few more CLIFFHANGERSSSSS!!!!!  
Thank you so much for reading! Have fun and stay safe!


	15. Comrades

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hans's cry for help is answered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again, my lovelies! Before anything else, MORE CLIFFHANGERSSSS!!!!! And after that, please enjoy!

The whistle let out one short, high blast and shattered in his hand. The frigid shards melted in his palm.

For a moment, Ismari actually looked anxious, glancing fearfully at the large window that looked out over the lake. Then she smiled.

“A nice trick, Hans,” she said, “but I’m afraid it will take more than ancient Elementalist ice to--”

The window exploded. Ismari’s companions shouted in alarm as hundreds of tiny glass shards rained down on them, leaving small nicks on their arms and faces where they hadn’t shielded them quickly enough. Elsa swooped in through the empty frame, propelled by bolts of icy magic. Anna leapt in after her, wielding a sword that must have come from the glass cases in the temple. “You called?” she said innocently, a sly grin on her face.

“Anna, stay out of this,” Hans instructed her.

“Why?” Anna demanded, looking furiously disappointed.

“I need you to get my brothers out of here,” Hans said. “Take them in the boats.”

“But what about you?”

“I’ll hold them off as long as I can,” said Hans. “You and my brothers need to get to safety.”

“Hans, you can’t!” Anna exclaimed. “Not by yourself!”

“I’ll have my sword,” Hans said, summoning the weapon from thin air. “And Elsa.” The queen nodded at him in agreement.

“And me,” said Lars, stepping toward Hans.

“No,” Hans said flatly. “You go with everyone else. You have a home to return to.”

“As do you.” Lars pulled up his left sleeve, revealing a gold bracelet. He tapped the jewel in the center, and the bracelet spiraled outward into a magnificent shield. He opened his right hand; when he closed it, a steel axe appeared in his grip. “You are coming back, too, brother. And if I am to die…” His eyes grew sad. “I wish to do so as a man Christine would be proud of.”

Hans wanted to argue that it would be better for Christine if Lars returned to her, but the Shadow Witches were already shaking off the shock of Elsa’s arrival.

“Fine,” he snapped. “You and Elsa hold off the others. I’ll take Ismari.”

“I don’t think so,” said Lars. “_I’ll _ fight Ismari. I know her best.”

Ismari cackled, a sound so different from her pealing-bell laugh, yet somehow still musical. “Oh, argue all you want,” she said cheerfully, “but if you _ truly _ know me best, Lars, you’ll know that even combined, you don’t have a fraction of the power to defeat me.”

“She’s right,” said Elsa, stepping forward. “It has to be me.”

Ismari looked at Elsa for the first time. Her face drained of color. “Impossible,” she said in a hoarse voice. “There… there are no more Elementalists. I destroyed them all!”

“Well, they’ve come back,” Elsa said. “And you _ really _ do not want to discover everything that I can do.”

“Then the feeling is mutual,” said Ismari. She held her hands out in front of her, palms up, and flickering tongues of flame danced across her fingertips. “Let’s see how you fare against the most powerful sorceress of all time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YASSSSS ELSA STAND UP TO ISMARI YA QUEEN!!!  
Before anything else, I'd like to apologize in advance for the stress this cliffhanger may cause. Next chapter, we get into the battle, but I won't be posting for a very long time. This next chapter is pretty long, and I haven't even finished it yet, so it may be a few weeks before I resolve this cliffhanger WITH ANOTHER CLIFFHANGER!!!! Sorry, but these last chapters will be spaced out quite a bit because I have to get them written first and I don't even have a very clear idea of how they're going to be written. I have a basic idea of who fights who and who wins, but that's about it. No where, no with, no how, no nothing. So it will probably be quite a while before this story gets updated. Sorry, but leaving people on intense cliffhangers is one of my favorite things to do, so... #sorrynotsorry  
Okay, I really am sorry. But please don't leave comments asking when this is going to be update next, because I don't know myself. And PLEASE, for the love of HEIMDALL, don't leave complaints. I'm just going to answer any complaints right now. I KNOW this will take a while, and above all, I KNOW Frozen 2 contradicts just about all the lore I created for this story, but I came up with this first, and you can see the rest of my explanation in the end of work notes. Also, ELSA CAN FLY. Your argument is invalid.  
Just wanted to point out a little Easter egg I threw in there. Anybody else here a Percy Jackson fan? Anyway, in the fourth book of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series (the second best Rick Riordan series, in my opinion, surpassed only by The Kane Chronicles), Percy is given a whistle made of Stygian ice, which will summon one of his friends (won't spoil who) who will hear it no matter how far away they are. It won't melt, but he can only use it once because it shatters when he uses it. That was the template I used for Elsa's magic whistles. Did any of you find that? No? So I'm the only nerd like that? Okay, I'll just show myself to the door, then...  
Thank you so much for reading, and thanks to all of you who have given me support throughout this entire work! It gives me confidence to know you've stuck with me this far and are still supporting me. To you, and only you, I will apologize for the inevitable wait. (I may make an exception for anyone who has decided at any point up to now to show their support.) During this undetermined hiatus, however, I would like to recommend that you check out some of my other works, including works dedicated to fandoms such as How To Train Your Dragon and Miraculous Ladybug. And if you like this, be sure to check out my work about Agnarr and Iduna from Frozen 2! Have fun and stay safe!


	16. Battle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fight for survival begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so that wasn't quite as long of a wait as I thought it was going to be. Pleasant surprises, right? But there will be another long (ish) wait after this, so hoping for more of those pleasant surprises in the future. Anyways, enjoy!

The Shadow Witches all surged forward at the same time.

Hans, determined to get his brothers to safety, charged into the swarm. Lars followed directly after him. Together, they sent their eleven other brothers toward Anna and the boats, away from the Shadow Witches’ claws--

_ Claws? _

Hans faltered as he realized that the Shadow Witches had… changed. Their soft and silky hair had become ratted and uneven, their teeth fangs and their nails claws. Their skin sagged like that of old women, and their eyes were pure black.

So this was what night demons looked like.

Elsa had run straight for Ismari, blasting a wicked wall of snow toward her. With a lazy flick of Ismari’s hand, a roaring line of flames rose up and melted it.

“Fire melts ice, young one,” Ismari called to Elsa in a mocking tone.

“But water quenches flame,” Elsa threw back. She hurled a barrage of razor-sharp icicles at Ismari, which the Shadow Witch was just barely able to dodge.

Hans feared for Elsa’s capabilities against Ismari, but he had his own job to do. He swung his sword at the nearest Shadow Witch, the one that had been dancing with Lucas, and she hissed and jumped back. Still, Hans knew he would never be able to strike her. How was he supposed to defeat them if he couldn’t even land a hit?

His unspoken question was answered as his eldest brother, Caleb, reentered the ballroom the same way Hans had come in, dressed for battle in a set of golden armor that was almost surely purely ornamental, and wielding a ruby-encrusted spear. “For the Southern Isles!” he announced. “Defend our youngest brother!”

He charged into the throng of Shadow Witches, and to Hans’s surprise, was followed by the rest of his brothers, all decked from head to toe in decorative armor and weapons. Even the twins were dressed in jeweled breastplates and holding matching swords that appeared to be made of diamonds, prepared to fight alongside the rest of the princes.

Hans felt his chest swell with pride. His brothers, who had never been anything close to his friends, were ready to _ help _ him.

Suddenly re-energized, he swung at the auburn-haired Shadow Witch again, forcing her back, until Lucas, who had seemed anxious to battle this particular girl, impaled her from behind with a bronze dagger. “Take that, Corian!” he shouted as his former partner shrieked and melted into a hissing puddle of dark shadow.

Ismari heard. Still holding back Elsa’s attacks with a shield of flames, she turned toward them. “My sister!” she wailed, seeing the black puddle that had, until recently, been Corian. She glared at Lucas in outrage. “You will pay for her destruction!”

Still maintaining her defense against Elsa, she thrust her hand in Lucas’s direction. A white-hot bolt of fire shot from her palm toward him. Without thinking, Hans leaped in front of his brother.

Hans expected to be entirely consumed by the flames, left as nothing but a smoldering pile of ashes. To his surprise, however, his sword jumped in front of him, as if of its own will. Instead of surrounding Hans’s body, the fire concentrated into a single line and hit his sword, seeming to be drawn into the blade, until the flames had dissipated entirely. Hans’s sword, on the other hand, had turned completely black.

Ismari shrieked in frustration. Hans thought he could see her demonic form attempting to burst out from beneath the surface of her features, but then she seemed to regain control over herself. She growled angrily and turned back to Elsa. She used both hands to send a raging inferno at the queen, forcing Elsa to duck. In her opponent’s momentary distraction, Ismari barked, “Rejeyel! Adere!”

Two of the Shadow Witches, one red-haired, one brunette, left the battle to hurry to Ismari’s side. The brunette lifted her hands, and the floor around her cracked. Slowly, Elsa, Ismari, and her companions began to rise as the ground they were standing on ascended above the rest of the area. Hans began to run toward them, hoping to get to Elsa before she and the others were out of reach, but the red-haired Shadow Witch flicked her hand at him, and he was thrust to the ground by a sudden blast of harsh wind. He landed on his back, and the air was forced from his lungs.

_ Elementalists, _ he thought dazedly. Elsa must not have been the first one since Ismari, but one of those other two.

He didn’t have much time to think this, though, as the minute he was vulnerable, all of the nearby Shadow Witches began to advance on him. One of them hissed in aggravation as Philip’s diamond-bedecked sword caught on and tore away a scrap of fabric from her shredded skirt and turned to deal with him, but that still left three of those dark demons coming toward their original prey.

Hans tried to get to his feet, but the world was spinning and his head ached and try as he might he couldn’t get his eyes to focus. It seemed he was going to die here.

Then, suddenly, Lars was standing above him, enchanted axe in hand, appearing as a fierce warrior come straight from the fabled halls of Odin to save him. With a wild fire in his eyes, he swiped at the three Shadow Witches, who hissed and drew back to avoid his weapon. With the attackers temporarily at bay, Lars offered Hans his free hand. Hans accepted it and let his older brother pull him to his feet. “Thanks for that.”

“Any time, little brother.” Lars spun his axe, then looked up at the raised arena the Earth Elementalist had created. Now that she and the other Elementalist had joined Ismari, Elsa was visibly struggling to hold her own against so many other opponents. “We have to get you up there.”

“_Me? _” Hans said, surprised. “Why?”

“You have the ring,” said Lars, nodding at Hans’s gloved right hand. “If Ismari wants it so badly that she’d destroy her kingdom here, it must be even more powerful than we thought. And,” he added with a glance at Hans’s sword, which was still black from absorbing Ismari’s flames, “it would appear that you have better protection than any of the rest of us.”

Hans, in his fear, wanted to argue that he had no idea if the sword would even do the flame-eating thing again, but realized that Lars was right. He _ did _ have the best protection-- a bargaining chip. And even if the insane plan that was starting to take shape in his mind failed, he was the one with the least to lose. Lars had Christine, his other brothers were all loved by the people of the Southern Isles, and Anna--

Hans suddenly felt a different kind of terror pierce his chest. Where was Anna? He should have realized she never would have run away from a fight, especially when her sister was involved. And if his brothers had returned, that meant Anna must have as well. Meaning she could be in terrible danger.

Had this happened sixteen months ago, he wouldn’t have thought twice about abandoning her, wherever she was. But now, he felt that she had become the first of something he had never had before-- a friend. If anything happened to her, he would have succeeded in destroying her world not once but twice. With this in mind, he took off at once in search of the missing princess.

Somehow, none of the Shadow Witches noticed him exit the ballroom with Lars. This may have been because they were now outnumbered. Having been left by their two most powerful for the battle against Elsa, as well as losing one to Lucas’s rage, there were only eight of them left against the eleven other princes. They all still had their Shadow magic, but Hans’s brothers seemed to have worked out a strategy. As Hans watched, Magnus forced a black-haired Shadow Witch back until he, Heinrich, Rudi, and Runo had her surrounded. She hissed and lashed out at them, but she lingered on Heinrich just a moment too long, and Rudi stabbed her from behind with a silver javelin. She howled in pain before melting into a puddle of shadow, just like Corian. Satisfied that his brothers could handle themselves, Hans left the ballroom, Lars close behind.

“Anna!” Hans called out. His voice echoed in the halls. He had to find her, or he would never be able to live with himself. Besides that, he didn’t even want to think of what kinds of torture Elsa might have in store for him if her sister was hurt. “Anna!”

He noticed a figure pressed up against the wall behind an enormous porcelain vase and pushed toward it eagerly, but Lars stopped him. “Wait.”

Hans obeyed, though he didn’t understand. It was surely Anna, he would have recognized that autumn-colored hair anywhere. Why would he have to proceed with caution?

But then he saw everything, and he froze with shock.

Anna was staring at her hands, eyes wide with fear. Her palms were glowing with bright golden light, pulsing and exuding from her fingertips in a way that looked almost natural even though it clearly wasn’t. Hans had never seen anything like this before, but he knew what it must be-- magic.

“What’s happening to me?” Anna cried, her voice wild with panic.

Hans noticed Lars’s expression harden next to him. “Ismari mentioned something like this,” he said. “She said there was a magic that would strengthen her, something that would increase the power of the shadows even more than anything else. But this shouldn’t be happening. Ismari said the magic was incomplete--”

Hans was hardly listening anymore. He had noticed something on the wall Anna was leaning against. A fissure, which didn’t seem to belong with the constant perfection of the palace.

“Anna, move,” he instructed her. She looked up at him fearfully, but complied.

“Hans, what are you doing?” Lars barked. His voice commanded obedience, but there was no way Hans could miss the note of panic in his voice.

“Something crazy,” Hans replied. Before Lars could try to talk him out of it, he drove his blackened sword into the fissure in the wall and pulled at it with all his strength.

As if in reaction to his attempt, the wall rumbled, then split apart, and Hans staggered back, startled. But it wasn’t the confirmation of his suspicion that caused him to be afraid.

It was the girl he had just freed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MORE CLIFFHANGERSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!  
The only reason the wait wasn't as long as I thought it was going to be is because of my amazing friend, MarliaBlackbird. She was kind and smart enough to help me come up with new ideas for this work, and she has been helping me with my other works, too, as well as creating artwork for a few of my works. I am hoping to post some of her artwork of the Shadow Witches soon. Shout out to Marlia! Thank you so much, bestie!  
I'd like to mention a little Easter egg I threw in here. In all of my works and/or series, I include one character who bears my name. In this work, that's the Shadow Witch that Magnus, Heinrich, Rudi, and Runo team up to kill. Just for reference, here's a list of all twelve princes and their dance partners.  
Caleb - Sheyla  
Heinrich - Rejeyel  
Lars - Ismari  
Frederick - Tamara  
Stefan - Sumaya  
Lucas - Corian  
Galen - Alsie  
Magnus - Amberly  
Sevastian - Marta  
Philip - Aura  
Rudi - Baeres  
Runo - Adere  
Again, I'd like to apologize in advance for the inevitable wait. And again, please don't leave complaints. I'm super happy that I didn't receive any complaints during this last wait, so thank you for that. But I did think the idea of Anna having magic when it was confirmed that she didn't in Frozen 2 might raise some of that. Sorry about my finnicky-ness, but I know I would have problems, even if none of you are as bratty about this as I am.  
Thank you so much for reading! I think the wait will be longer this time around, especially because I'm starting to get occupied with an idea for a new work that I am optimistic will make it on here within a couple months. Sorry, but again, you can always look at my other stuff. Or you can just reread this five million times. (Honestly, y'all probably have much better things to do with your time. I just have literally no life, so...) Have fun and stay safe!


	17. UPDATE

Hey, guys! I just wanted to apologize for the super long wait, especially with that last cliffhanger. I haven't even gotten close to finishing the draft of the next chapter yet. I'm so, so sorry!

While we're on this undetermined hiatus, however, I thought I'd make good on my promise to give you the Twelve Dancers artwork from my bestie, MarliaBlackbird. I hope you love it as much as I do!

Marlia has been my best friend since middle school. As a kid, I only ever had one friend every year, and Marlia was the first of my friends to stick around for two years. Years later, she still holds the record for being my longest friend. I don't know if I would really call her my _best friend_, "sister-from-another-mister" would be a more accurate description of what she is to me. We don't look quite similar enough for people to automatically assume we're sisters, but with the way we behave around each other, we have to wonder how many people who see us think we're a couple. (Neither assumption is true, by the way; like I said, we're best friends. We just have a really weird way of showing it.)

Marlia is the best partner I could ask for when writing the works you read by me online. Whenever I get stumped on how to continue a story, she always comes up with the best ideas. That cliffhanger in the last chapter of this story? Totally her idea. The rest of this work will be mostly her ideas as well.

Marlia is also the best artist I could ask for. The Shadow Witches are not the first characters I've commissioned her to draw, and she never ceases to amaze me. Her interpretations of my original characters are the best. She rarely gives me anything like what I pictured, and yet it's always so much better. There has been many an occasion when I changed my mental picture of a character I created because Marlia's interpretation was even more incredible than my original idea.

So shout out to Marlia! I love ya so much, bestie! No writer could ask for a better partner in crime! And thank you SO MUCH for agreeing to draw the Shadow Witches! I know I ask a lot of you, but you never fail to deliver! As usual, you gave me just about the opposite of what I asked for, and it was a million times better than what I was expecting! Can't wait to display more of your incredible artwork!!


	18. Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hans and his companions meet a new... friend?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WEEEEEEEEEEEE'RE BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK, BABY!  
This chapter took FOREVER to put together!!!!! Y'all better like this, otherwise I wasted what seems like six months of my life. (I know it hasn't actually been six months. It just feels like it.)

Lars didn’t hesitate. He shoved himself in front of Hans and raised his axe, preparing to throw. “Stand back!” he ordered Hans.

The girl cowered before him. “Don’t hurt me!” she cried.

“I won’t fall for your tricks, witch,” Lars hissed. “It’s you. You’re the secret weapon Ismari was talking about!”

“No, please!” the girl begged. “I know Ismari, yes, but I’m not her weapon, you must believe me!”

“As if I could ever believe  _ anyone _ in this hellish place!” Lars spat at her. “Quit your grovelling so I can finish you off!”

“No, you mustn’t!” the girl pleaded. “You need me, good sir!  _ She _ needs me!” She pointed at Anna, who looked severely shaken.

“Me?” Anna said. “No, what-- who-- who are you?”

The girl did not speak to answer. She merely extended her empty hands toward them.

Hans’s eyes grew to the size of salad plates. The girl’s hands were glowing with golden light. Exactly like Anna’s.

“You are the missing half,” the girl said, addressing the Arendellian princess. “If anything,  _ you _ are more dangerous here than I am.”

“What are you talking about?” Lars demanded. “Explain, witch!”

“I am no witch,” the girl said, her eyes firmly fixed on Anna. “But I am all too familiar with them. And I can help you to destroy them.”

For the first time since unintentionally releasing the strange girl, Hans spoke. “Do you know how to defeat them?”

The girl looked at him, and he saw immense relief and gratitude in her eyes. “You are the one who freed me?” she said. She approached him and, to his surprise, clasped his free hand between her two glowing ones. “Thank you, thank you, good knight! I shall never be able to repay you!”

“Um, I’m a prince, actually…” Hans said vaguely, somewhat startled at the reaction she had had to him. He shook himself out of his daze and focused on her. “You said you can help us destroy the Shadow Witches?”

“Oh-- yes,” the girl said. She released Hans and went to the very frightened-looking Anna, who was staring at her palms again. The girl placed her hands over the princess’s, and the glowing in both of their fingers stopped. “Worry not,” she told the terrified redhead. “Control is easier with the other nearby.”

Anna gaped at her back-to-normal hands. “What-- how--”

Lars, who still looked distrustful, pointed his axe at the strange girl. “You promised us answers,” he reminded her. “Speak, girl.”

“Of course,” said the girl, bowing her head slightly to him. Now that the shock had passed, Hans could focus on the girl’s appearance. She had hair as gold as the sun, which was as long as her plain white gown, though tangled and wild due to lack of care. Her eyes were as blue as the summer sky, though there were dark circles below them, as though she hadn’t slept in weeks. Her skin was sallow and pale, as if she hadn’t seen the sun, artificial or otherwise, in years. However, though she looked worn out and neglected, Hans couldn’t help thinking that, in a way, she was even more beautiful than Ismari.

“My name is Rielle,” she told them. “I was the only heir to a small kingdom very near this place many years ago. I was… foolish in my youth, and Ismari found me and…” She swallowed nervously at the memory. “I thought her offer of immortality would be nice. My father kept me locked away from the world my whole life and… I thought Ismari could free me.”

“Why would he lock you away?” Hans asked.

Rielle smiled humorlessly. “Because of my magic.

“There was a prophecy made hundreds of years before I was born. In time, two princesses would be born of my kingdom. They each would wield Elemental magic unlike any seen before. Instead of Earth, Water, Fire, or Wind, they would bear magic of Light, and together they would bring peace to the world.

“My father was ecstatic when my powers began to develop. He began to abuse my mother. He wanted to have another daughter. He believed that if I had a sister, he would be able to use our power to conquer his enemies.

“But then my mother fell ill. The medics told us she would not live. Still my father tried to get another child out of her. My mother died in pain and misery.

“But my father was relentless. He locked me away, for fear that another kingdom might try to use me against him, while he searched for another wife. I grew cold and bitter. I wanted more than anything to escape his tyranny and dance in my victory.

“Then Ismari found me. She offered me an escape, the opportunity to run far, far away and never be found. I was foolish enough to accept her deal.

“When I arrived in her kingdom, I learned that she had never brought me here for my benefit. If she succeeded in turning my Light to Shadow, I would grant her enough power to escape her self-created prison and seize control of the surface world. I finally had enough sense to tell her I wanted to go home, but she wouldn’t have it. She told me I  _ would _ learn to obey her, and she locked me away, just like my father had. I believe she was waiting for the other princess, to fulfill the prophecy in her own dark, twisted way.” She finished with a look at Anna.

“Me?” Anna said, shock written in every line of her face. “But-- I don’t understand-- I’m not--”

“Anna is the princess of Arendelle,” Hans explained. “And I don’t think there’s ever been a prophecy like that--”

“Have you ever heard of a kingdom called Mardisia?” Rielle asked Anna.

“I-- I think so,” said the princess of Arendelle. “I think my grandfather conquered it years ago--”

“Then you  _ are _ the prophesied one,” said Rielle. “If my kingdom became a part of yours, then it makes sense that you would be considered its princess.”

Hans watched this with a growing sense of confusion. None of this made any sense in his mind, not Anna’s glowing hands, not Rielle’s story. His head spun.

“But-- I still don’t understand,” said Anna. “My sister-- her magic appeared the moment she was born. How can I--” She fell silent, but Hans knew what she was thinking. If she had magic, why hadn’t it manifested sooner? She might have been able to end the eternal winter herself, or thaw her frozen heart before it consumed her. She may never even have received that white strand of hair that had caught Hans’s attention so many months ago.

“Light magic is different from the other Elements,” said Rielle. “It can be suppressed by other magic, or even by the one who possesses it.”

Hans thought he understood. Anna was the type of person who, as a young child, would have believed her sister to be superior to her in every way, magic or no. Perhaps she might have unconsciously pushed her own magic away because she didn’t think there was any way she could possibly match Elsa.

Elsa! “We left her behind!” Hans said suddenly. “Elsa’s back there-- alone-- against Ismari! We have to go back and help her!”

Anna gaped at him, looking almost as shocked as he felt. When had he started caring so much for the wellbeing of the queen of Arendelle?

Then again, he hadn’t been very considerate of Anna’s good health until just recently. Maybe he was developing some sort of conscience.

Rielle’s lips parted slightly in confusion, and Hans found the action oddly distracting. “Elsa…” she said slowly, then closed her eyes and murmured,  _ “Of ice and snow, a queen shall rise…” _ She opened her eyes suddenly and said, “Is this Elsa a Water Elementalist?”

“Um-- sort of,” said Hans, shaking himself out of his strange, dazed stupor. He began to explain how Elsa’s Water magic was based in the cold, but Lars stopped him. “Don’t give too much away,” his older brother warned. “We still don’t know if we can trust her.”

Hans wanted to argue, but stopped when he saw Rielle. She slowly looked up and met Lars’s gaze solemnly, the wisdom of a hundred years worth of pain and grief in her eyes. “I cannot hope to fully earn your trust in the few moments we have,” she said. “But alas, we do not have the luxury of time to prove my true motives. If you wish to defeat Ismari today and save your brothers, you must put aside your doubts and let me help you.” She lifted her chin, and Hans could have sworn he saw her eyes flash gold. “It is the only way for you to return to your beloved alive.”

Lars choked on a strangled gasp, and in that moment of vulnerability, Hans could see just how much his brother had pined for Christine during these months. “How did you know?” he said. “I never told Ismari…”

Rielle smiled sadly. “Nothing happens in the lives of Ismari’s prisoners without me knowing,” she said. “It is a part of my curse. I know the woes of her partners, the things they lose when she takes them… and that I might have prevented it by joining her.” A mournful look filled her eyes. “But then, their fates would have been a thousand times more terrible.”

Her eyes cleared, and she met Lars’s stricken gaze. “Your Christine longs for you as well,” she said. “Trusting me is the only way back to her.”

Lars looked torn, but Hans could tell the thought of Christine grieving for him had won him over. If there was one thing Lars couldn’t stand, it was to see the ones he loved in pain. “I can see we have no choice,” he said, seeming to grow weak as he relented. “Princess Rielle, will you aid us in our fight?”

Rielle smiled. “Gladly.” Light flared from her fingertips once again, but instead of a gentle glow, this brilliance pulsed with an angry harshness that frightened Hans a little. “My business with Ismari is far from finished.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Five words.  
That's how much of the next chapter I've written so far. Five. Freaking. Words.  
...Yeah. This is gonna take a while.  
So the cliffhanger has been resolved. Rielle wasn't even a vague concept in the beginning of writing this story. She only started existing like two months ago when I told Marlia "Hey, I'm stupid. Give me ideas." and she said "What about a thirteenth princess?" and I replied "Ight. Sounds legit." That's the way genius is born, people.  
I'm just kidding, my writing is trash there is no plan I have literally no idea of how to proceed from here help me.  
Anyway... Light magic. That's a thing now.  
Sorry about these notes I am deceased of the brain right now. I will probably make up for it in the next chapter. Which will hopefully consist of more than five words when I post it. (Of course, how do I know? Maybe that's my peak.)  
Thank you so much for reading! Have fun and stay safe!

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry if the details in this story don't line up with the material from Frozen II. I came up with this about a month before it was released, and I'm really just focusing on the information from the first movie and a teeny bit from the Frozen II teaser trailer. So please don't leave a bunch of comments about how none of this could have happened because of the time or the details about magic that we found out in the second movie. It was an amazing show and all, but I only really count the first movie as fair game while writing this.  
P.S. If you haven't seen Frozen II yet, please do! It's even better than the first movie!!


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